Beyond the bookshelf: transforming drug information resources through digital innovation

In the era of modern clinical practice, healthcare professionals need accurate and easy to use drug information resources. The newly evolved sources of information are more accurate and effective in making clinical decisions as compared to the traditional ones. The review aims to shed light on the effect of shift of drug information resources from traditional to electronic platforms. It also explores the strengths, limitations and technological advancements in the resources. A thorough review of literature related to traditional and digital drug information was carried out. The study was done with focus on medication management, patient care, clinical decision making, medication errors, patient safety and therapeutic outcomes. The review also covers the accessibility and reliability of various resources along with future challenges. The integration of drug information resources with clinical decision support systems (CDSS) and electronic health records (EHRs) provide real-time updates, reduce medication errors, enhance accessibility and improve clinical decision making. Some of the limitations of electronic resources include reliability of information, subscription cost, information overload and unnecessary alerts. Emergence of cloud computing, blockchain technology and artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to further enhance the quality of digital drug information resources. The transition of drug information resources from traditional to digital has brought a significant change in clinical practice. The electronic version has shown effectiveness in healthcare and patient safety. Ongoing developments in digital technology will further improve accuracy, accessibility and patient care.